The federal government's Main Estimates for the 2011-12 budget were tabled in the House of Commons this week.

According to the estimates, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's budget will be cut by $418 million. $250 million will be cut from Business Risk Management programs and agricultural research funding will drop by $150 million.

"It amazes me, because everything we're hearing as a Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food across the country is that profitability needs to be improved, especially in the beef and hog sectors, and that more funding needs to be put into research," says Liberal Agriculture Critic Wayne Easter. "What was most shocking in the estimates was the very substantial cut to basically departments that provide benefit to rural Canada, and specifically the $418 million cut to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada."

Easter admits these are just estimates.

"So on the one hand you're seeing all these huge cuts within the estimates, then we'll have the budget, and because it will get a lot more publicity, the government will put a dime back in where they took a dollar away and say 'my gosh, they're doing good stuff'," says Easter. "This is the way this Harper regime operates."

The federal budget will be released on March 22nd.

~ Friday, March 4, 2011 ~